Summary

Since 2020, the global board game market has experienced significant growth, fueled by a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The French market has expanded strongly, reaching 630 million euros in revenues in 2020, an increase of 10% in value and 7% in volume on the previous year. Board games account for 18% of the traditional toy market in France, with puzzles in particular contributing to this growth, with an increase of 26% in value.

The market structure is dominated by large multinationals such as Hasbro and Mattel, while independent publishers rely on crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter to launch their products.

Digitization and eco-responsibility have emerged as key trends, with games integrating connected devices and adopting sustainable materials.

Distribution channels have evolved, with specialized online platforms gaining market share. Despite modern trends and new entrants, classic board games remain popular, often chosen for their familiar gameplay and ease of use.

The unshakeable appeal of board games in French leisure culture

In France, the board game market demonstrates a strong and enduring appeal to the population. With a rich gaming tradition ranging from classic games like Go and Monopoly to Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games, French households have made board games a key part of their leisure activities. In this dynamic market, over 85% of the French population regularly play board games, making France one of the most enthusiastic countries for this type of entertainment in the world. A closer look at the French market reveals that board games are not only widespread, but also diverse. The sector is thriving with a multitude of publishers and games, making it difficult for independent publishers to stand out from the crowd. Consumers benefit from this variety. Despite the digital revolution, the traditional board game market remains relevant, accounting for around 18% of the toy market.

The Covid-19 pandemic period brought an unexpected surge in the popularity of board games, with sales soaring by around 11% year-on-year. Remarkably, during the containment period, a board game was sold every second.

worldwide, the board game market is expected to grow at an impressive rate of around 13% per year, reaching a market size of between $25 and $35 billion. This expansion is fuelled by young people's enthusiasm for games and the strength of both digital and physical gaming practices.

The French board game industry generated substantial sales of between €550 and €600 million, with almost 28 million boxes sold in a single year. This trajectory marks an upward trend supported by various market segments, including the growing popularity of puzzles. Consumption behavior in France is closely linked to household purchasing power, with annual spending on games estimated at around 200 to 250 euros per person, with board games being one of the most popular categories.

Seasonality plays a crucial role, with around 58% of game spending taking place during the festive season. As far as game preferences are concerned, the French demonstrate an enduring attachment to classics such as Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit, to name but a few. These games have maintained their hold on the market, eclipsing newcomers. Nevertheless, new games are making inroads, with examples such as Jungle Speed and Time's Up proving that innovation has its place in the evolution of consumer habits.The growth of the French market is not only quantitative, but also qualitative

Dominant forces in the board game industry

In the dynamic landscape of the board game market, several behemoths stand out for their influence and control over the world's gaming tables. The names Hasbro, Mattel, Smart Games, Simba Dickie Group and Asmodée Group resonate in the halls of gaming conventions and on toy store shelves, each a testament to the enduring love of physical games despite the influx of the digital age.

  • Hasbro, a big name in the industry, continues to champion the board game market with timeless classics like Monopoly, Cluedo and The Game of Life. These games are not just products, but cultural phenomena, transcending generations while remaining favorites with families and groups of friends. So it's hardly surprising that they occupy a prominent place in the sales charts.
  • Mattel, another titan, delights gamers with equally iconic games such as Uno and Scrabble. Mattel's ability to create simple yet profoundly captivating games has carved out a place for itself on the market. Not only do these games stimulate players' minds, they also act as a bridge, connecting people through words and strategic play.
  • Smart Games stands out for its contribution to the educational aspect of games. Their puzzles and puzzle games offer mental training, inviting players of all ages to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving. The company appeals to a growing segment of gamers looking for intellectual stimulation as well as entertainment.
  • The Simba Dickie Group, while not focusing solely on board games, contributes to the sector with its wide range of toys and games that encourage physical engagement and creativity. Its wide range of products ensures its place in the market, capturing the imagination of gamers the world over.
  • Groupe Asmodée represents the crème de la crème of French board game publishers. Known for its strategy and design games, Asmodée has taken the market by storm with titles such as Catan and Les Aventuriers du Rail. They embody the diversification and sophistication that the European board game scene brings to the table.

These major players have strategies that enable them to dominate the market. Whether it's exploiting pop culture phenomena, tapping into classic nostalgia or creating games that cater to diverse preferences and age groups, their relevance and influence are undeniable. They have not only secured their position at the top of the industry, but have also managed to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

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  • Number of pages : 30 pages
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  • Last update : 20/10/2023
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Summary and extracts

1 Market overview

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

Tabletop games, that include board games, have distinguished themselves by their ability to survive through the ages and, even today, they are still at the heart of the leisure consumption habits of the French. Indeed, from Go to Monopoly or 1000 terminals, board games have gained a special place in the leisure habits of French households. like Dungeons and Dragons or Diplomacy, some games create and gather entire communities and a myriad of derivative products.

Difficult to define in absolute terms, board games are generally characterized by

  • A more or less complex game rule;
  • A minimum of 2 participants
  • The need for one or more material supports (game board, counters, pen, dice, cards)

The main strength of the board game market is the attraction of French players for board games. Indeed, as mentioned above, more than 85% of French people play board games regularly, which makes them one of the most fond of this type of entertainment in the world. The board game sector in France has a multitude of players, more and more numerous, and it is becoming difficult for independent publishers to stand out. This diversity gives consumers more purchasing power and they can afford to be more demanding.

Despite the revolution it represents, the advent of digital technology has not disrupted the board game market, which still finds takers, representing about 18% of the toy market .

The containment and the crisis of the COVID-19 confirmed the good health of the sector. According to an article published by Le Point, about one board game was sold per second during the containment period. More globally, board game sales exploded by 11% over 2020 compared to 2019.

1.2 A fast-growing global market

Market momentum confirmed:

The board game market is expected to grow at a significant rate of **% per year between **** and **** to reach a value of $** billion. This development benefits from a favorable context with a great popularity among the youth and the development of gaming habits, despite the important competition of ...

1.3 Overview of a robust French market

In ****, the French board game/puzzle market generated revenues of €*** million, with **.* million boxes sold over the year. It has thus been growing at a rate of +**% per year for the past * years.

The French board game market is the largest in Europe, with the fastest growth in recent years, just ...

1.4 The impact of Covid-19 on this growing market

During the Covid-** crisis, we have seen an unprecedented evolution of the market, even though it was in a period of very favorable growth for * years.

The confinement has first of all brought a serious blow to the sector, by obliging the totality of the physical points of sale to remain ...

1.5 Interview with Alexandre Ackerman, founder of Gameflix

Marine: Welcome to the Niche, the podcast that analyzes the niche market with the entrepreneurs who are moving the lines. I'm Marine and I work at Businesscoot, the startup that dusts off market research before it starts. Subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast. And now, let's move on ...

2 Analysis of the demand

2.1 French spending on board games

Household purchasing power is one of the determining factors in the market's good health: if purchasing power falls, French families have fewer resources to devote to leisure activities and board game consumption falls accordingly.Total quantities purchased of games and toys are estimated at **M new units in ****, or *.* games per ...

2.3 What are the favorite games of the French?

The favorite games of the French

According to a **** study [***], **% of French people like to play games, including **-** year olds (***).

Favorite games of the French (***) France, ****, % Source: ****

This statistic shows the results of a survey on the most popular board games in France in ****, formulated with the question, "Among the ...

2.4 Board games are growing in popularity

It can be noted that if role-playing games have been out of fashion for a while, they have nowadays the wind in their sails: the current trend is towards communication and atmosphere games leaving an increasing place to narration

Board games are enjoying growing popularity with the public and are becoming ...

2.4 Notoriété des principales marques de jeux de société en France

Le label Marque préférée des Français conduit des enquêtes afin de collecter des données sur l'appétence des Français avec les principales marques de jeux de société. Ainsi, on peut voir que le Monopoly est le jeu préféré des Français, ...

2.6 Awareness of the main board game brands in France according to French people's favorite brand

The label "Marque Préférée des Français" (***) conducts surveys to collect data on French people's appetite for the main board game brands.

Answer to the question: Among these brands, which ones do you like? France, ****, in % Source: ****

Monopoly is the game most appreciated by the French according to ...

3 Market structure

3.1 A market dominated by historical players

The board game market is dominated in France by the American multinationals Hasbro and Mattel. Hasbro is indeed famous for its classic games such as Monopoly, Cluedo or La Bonne Paye which are constantly in the top ** of the best sellers. Thus, the multinational Hasbro occupies the first place on the ...

3.2 Business strategies of market players

The commercial strategy for a board game publisher is complex, because beyond an objective quality or at least one that is recognized by different observers, the success of a game and its propagation among players depends significantly on a luck factor. From the elements discussed in this study, we have nevertheless ...

3.3 The different distribution channels

There are * main types of distribution channels for board games, and it is the same for the whole toy sector[***].

Supermarkets: Auchan, Carrefour, Leclerc... These brands focus on games with the widest possible target : games aimed at children, games with simple rules that can be set up quickly, often already renowned. ...

3.4 Participatory funding enhances independent publishers

The emergence of participatory funding platforms targets a segment of expert gamers, who willingly participate in the funding of board games offering a richer experience, with more material, often of high quality. These games, which offer a real immersion in a theme that must be strong, can see their prices exceed ...

3.5 The rise of board games bars

As a direct consequence of the growing number of games offered by publishers, board games bars are booming, serving as a catalyst for consumers who often have trouble making up their minds when faced with the diversity of the offer. There has been an upsurge in the number of game bars ...

4 Analysis of the offer

4.1 Overview of the different product categories and prices

The reason that no official study provides the average age of board game players is that it is difficult to know the end user of the game purchased, as the age range is both suggested and estimated.this is because it is difficult to know who the end user of the ...

4.2 Industry trends

Digitalization of the sector

The video game industry, the first cultural industry, has largely contributed to the removal of guilt from leisure activities with the arrival of a generation of adults for whom games are a culture in itself and who are now also turning to board games. The bridges between ...

5 Regulation

5.1 Highest standards for child protection

Board games are mainly composed of material elements that are likely to represent a danger for a young public and are therefore subject to strict regulations both on prevention and on the composition of the elements:

"Beware of pawns, elements, dice, etc., that might be lying around: a young child ...

6 Positioning of the actors

6.1 Segmentation

This market is made of a multitude of players: more than *,*** new board games are created each year. However, the market is centralized and dominated by a handful of big players. Indeed, as shown in the table of best sellers in the first part, the biggest successes are Hasbro or Mattel ...

List of charts

  • Nombre de jeux de société créés par an
  • Projection de la taille du marché mondial du jeu de société
  • Size of the board game market in France
  • Buying behaviors of French customers
  • Decline in cultural and leisure spending
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Latest news

Barbie: The Billion Dollar Movie - 01/08/2023
  • The "Barbie" film generated $775 million in worldwide box-office receipts, including $351 million in the USA and Canada alone.
  • It will be the third highest-grossing film at the global box office in 2023.
  • The Mattel Group has announced fourteen other film projects.
Games publisher Sentosphère gets into the puzzle business - 01/12/2022
  • Positioned in the publishing of sensory games, such as the Loto des odeurs, launched over thirty years ago, and artistic games,
  • Sentosphère launches into puzzles
  • 10 million euros in sales
  • sold in major toy chains (80% of business) and by independent distributors
  • Manufactured at Cartonnage de Vaucanson in the Drôme, a small business with 26 employees and sales of 4 million, specializing in packaging and cutting of puzzle pieces

JouéClub has launched its second hand. - 18/05/2022
  • Operation "troc O' Joué" will run from May 30 to June 18 in some thirty of its stores.
  • The brand had already tested this concept last September in a handful of pilot stores.
  • The service is reserved for holders of the company's loyalty card, the Carte Magique JouéClub.
  • The store will offer a trade-in price in the form of a voucher valid for one year.

Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

Mattel
Simba Dickie Group
Tactic Games
Blue Orange
Blackrock Games
Bombyx
Cocktail Games Interlude
Libellud
Sentosphère
Joué Club
King Jouet
Ravensburger

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